January 27
Feast of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (1470 – 1540)
“Mothers and sisters most dear to me in Christ: in the first place strive with all your power and zeal to be open. With the help of God, try to receive such good counsel that, led solely by the love of God and an eagerness to save souls, you may fulfill your charge.Only if the responsibilities committed to you are rooted in this twofold charity will they bear beneficial and saving fruit.”
--St. Angela Merici
January 26
Feast of Sts. Timothy and Titus
“As for you, be steady and self-possessed; put up with hardship, perform your work as an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
January 25
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul
“I am content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecutions, and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
January 24
Feast of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor (1567 – 1622)
“Our business is to love what God would have done. He wills our vocation as it is. Let us love that and not trifle away our time hankering after other people’s vocations.”
--St. Francis de Sales
January 23
"Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth! One without the other becomes a destructive lie."
--St. John Paul II at the canonization of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
January 22 Feast of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr
"Against Christ's army the world arrays a twofold battle line. It offers temptation to lead us astray; it strikes terror into us to break our spirit. At both of these approaches, Christ rushes to our aid, and the Christian is not conquered."
--From a homily of St. Augustine on St. Vincent
January 21 Feast of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr (CA. 291 - CA. 304)
"I will be his who first chose me for himself." St. Agnes at her martyrdom
January 20 Feast of St. Sebastian, Martyr (Third Century)
"If there are many persecutions, there are many testings; where there are many crowns of victory, there are many trials of strength. It is then to your advantage if there are many persecutors; among many persecutions you may more easily find a path to victory."
--From a homily of St. Ambrose on Martyrdom
January 19
"Let us not look too far or too high, but right in front of ourselves, right next to ourselves. The good to be done is perhaps there."
-- Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur, The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur
January 18
All holiness and perfection of soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ our God, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. It is part of the love of God to acquire and to nurture all the virtues which make a man perfect. -- From a homily of St. Alphonsus Liguori
